


Dancing to Darkness and Shadows

by glamorouspixels, LeChatNoir1918



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: And more kissing, Established Phrack, F/M, Fluff, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, Romance, lots of cuteness, some dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:01:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22049791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glamorouspixels/pseuds/glamorouspixels, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeChatNoir1918/pseuds/LeChatNoir1918
Summary: Phryne and Jack sneak off at a party to quietly welcome the new year.
Relationships: Phryne Fisher/Jack Robinson
Comments: 9
Kudos: 90





	Dancing to Darkness and Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> The title and the idea with the roses are stolen from _Beyond the Black Door_ by A.M. Strickland. 
> 
> In my last fic, I mentioned how I would like to make a series of fics based on fashion drawings - if only I had the necessary drawing skills. And since I only had one fully thought-out idea that I really wanted to realize, I thought I might as well get LeChatNoir1918 to do the drawings for me. ;) And aren't they incredible!? Thank you so much for doing this with me! <3

Jack was met with jubilant peals of laughter as he let the car door fall shut in his wake. Tugging his tuxedo jacket into place, the material smooth and luxurious under his fingers, he took in the mansion sprawled before him. It stretched far across the garden, fraying into the inky, boundless night. While amber light spilled onto the driveway, its upper levels lay mostly in shadow.

The gravel crunched beneath his shoes as he approached. Jack felt it more than he heard the sound; it was drowned out by the flow of music, a spirited tune, which soothed his tensed-up mind with its swirling notes. His body humming anticipation, Jack was cautiously cheerful despite himself, his soul reaching blindly out for Phryne, somewhere, surely one of the crowd. 

That gentle but assured pull was what finally drove him forward. Just as he crossed the entryway he turned his gaze once more toward the unlit slopes. It only took a blink to focus his eyes on the slight shifting of shadows he thought had stained the upper-level balcony – just long enough for it to become again one with the dark. 

Jack was paid no mind as he weaved soundlessly into the celebration, a spectrum of glamour and flowing silks braided with the clatter of glasses raised in a toast. That accomplished, he ended up in a grand entrance hall even more heavily packed – strands of light rained down from the ceiling, a mosaic of gold set off against the beaming faces of people paired and grouped. They lined the walls and filled the ballrooms, casting a kindness about the place that Jack found a little disorienting. It made him ache for Phryne’s smile and her joyful warmth. He clung to her light for guidance through the shifting mass.

There was something electrifying about the air. Sadly, it gave him no assistance in seeking her out, making him only more agitating the longer he spent looking. Rescue, when it finally came, showed its face in the most unexpected of ways. It arrived as the reluctant clearing of a throat, followed by a tap on the shoulder. Jack turned, surprised to find himself eye to eye with Prudence Stanley. 

“Inspector? I was sent to inform you that Phryne requires your presence at once.”

Champagne flute in hand, she appeared more skeptical than openly offended at the suggestion, the role she was expected to play; a tiny mercy for which Jack was utterly grateful. He felt every precious second as the tension in his muscles seeped away. It had momentarily spiked upon laying eyes on Phryne’s aunt, though her words, cryptic as they were, settled the blood rushing through his veins. The world quieting around him, the road to Phryne became suddenly clear. 

A brief bowing of his head, then an easy exhale. The suppression of a smile. “Of course.”

“Allow me to lead the way.” She wasted no time, showing Jack through the crowd to a quieter part of the building. Hope held him tight as the chatter beyond turned down and their path grew tangled, weaving through untouched corridors into the deeper night. 

She came to a halt, some moments later, before a smaller door than any they had so far passed, which blended almost completely into the surrounding wall. Cast in deep shadows, it lay hidden to the side of another massive staircase sprinkled more scarcely with wayward partygoers, all of whom were practically walking on air. 

A beat of silence; his look must have been one of bewilderment as she motioned, slightly perplexed, toward the polished wood. “I believe you can take it from here.” Whatever unpleasant thought had crossed her mind was clearly mirrored upon her features; meeting his eyes, she shook off the image with a decisive nod and spun her mind toward reluctant warmth.

Jack thought it best to get on her nerves no more, to retreat before the seedlings of quiet distaste grew to unmanageable heights. “Thank you, Mrs. Stanley. Have a good night.” 

“Likewise.” Much to his amazement, he didn’t miss the little sparkle in her eyes as she retreated. A mere trick of the light, of course – she’d deny the notion as though her life depended on it. 

Jack turned hesitantly toward the door just as Prudence disappeared from sight, swept away within a fresh wave of meandering guests. Turning the handle, he revealed the darkened corridor beyond. It spanned only a short distance and led to a flight of steps clouded in dimness. 

The volume of music fell away as the door closed behind him. Stretched before him, the pocket of silence appeared endlessly wide and vacant; yet the promise of Phryne united with his exhaustion to erase all traces of risk. Ahead, on the floor so black as to hint at a sweeping abyss, floated a single red rose, soft petals pointing forward. His heart gave a little leap at the sight. 

Spread out from where he stood was an array of blossoms freckling the night. Jack followed the pattern along the short hall and up. He could almost feel the darkness whispering to him. A caring companion pushing him on, its warm swirls parting to lead the way.

The door at the top opened into yet another wide hall; this one was even more welcoming in its dim glow. Its end marked a set of double doors spread wide open. The roses guided him through, across, and out again, onto the balcony beyond. 

The curtain of darkness parted and there, leaning against the railing, stood Phryne, turned away. Her dress dipping low, the moonlight lit the skin of her back in a creamy shine. A light breeze played with the ends of her hair. Jack’s quiet steps were enough to make her turn; she looked incredibly at ease as her gaze locked with his. 

“Jack, at last.” With the velvet, moon-rimmed night between them, her voice was low and smooth, laced with unmistakable tenderness. It matched perfectly the quiet confidence that shone in her eyes.

He joined her where she stood, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to her cheek. As her hand found his on the railing, he felt her smile against his lips. 

“What did you tell your aunt we were up to? She looked only mildly irritated at your arrangement – or perhaps it was the notion of leaving you alone with me.” Jack, remaining close, let his lips brush her temple as he spoke and looked out into the night.

“Nothing but the truth, I can assure you. And I’ve taught her well – I think she’s growing used to the idea.” Softly, Phryne squeezed his hand, sinking slightly, warmly, into his side. 

“Well, it _has_ only taken her, what, three years?” Tilting his head to rest against hers, Jack’s gaze wandered over the infinite veil of stars. Out here, the two of them were nothing more than dust sprinkled among the burning specks. Fleeting and insignificant in the grand scheme of things, yet the vastness brought only gratitude. For the softness of her, the warmth of her hand atop his, spoke only of home, anchoring him in the wide unknown. He moved in even closer.

Beside him, Phryne shifted; he sensed the caress of her eyes on him, wide with wonder as though she might sense his thought. It was a feeling of which he'd never get enough, relishing her little inhale and the starlight caught in her eyes. “It really has been that long, hasn’t it?” The words were little more than a whisper twirling in the midnight breeze. 

“Why? Getting tired of me yet?” Smiling, Jack turned fully to look at her. 

“Never,” she breathed. Their hands still joined on the railing, she brought the other, sure but gentle, to the back of his neck, bridging what minuscule gap remained. Her lips moved softly against his, and she tasted lightly of champagne. The world, as always, fell away as Phryne melted into him. Her body fitting perfectly against his, a familiar warmth blossomed wherever they touched. 

When Jack pulled back, it was solely when he finally remembered to breathe. “Careful, Miss Fisher, you’re flattering me – if you keep this up I’ll have no choice but to stick around.”

“That’s the plan,” said Phryne against his lips, unable to stay away. There was no longer doubt tinging his words in ominous gloom – it was merely an unending promise, the joining of their acts given shape to settle, lingering, among them. To grant it the weight it deserved they simply stood there, connected in the way their hearts beat to the gentle pull and the galaxies that watched them.

A small eternity trickled by before Phryne loosened her grasp. “Here, I’ve brought you these.” She had reached behind her on the railing and produced a bouquet of full, red roses. Even as his mouth twitched in a bemused smile, at the expectant look on her face Jack couldn’t help the warmth that flooded him. 

Inhaling deeply their angelic fragrance, he kept his eyes steady on Phryne – over the roses, he really looked at her for the first time that night. He took in the dusty rose of her dress, entwined with blossoms of velvet black and bordered in short, lacelike sleeves. What the modest neckline lacked was made up for by the deep-cut back, revealing just enough pale skin to captivate. It was a dress fit for a queen of moonlight; she stood certain and high with the stars kissing her skin. 

“Beautiful,” came finally his hushed response. Smiling smugly, she gave a small flick of the head at his lingering gaze. Jack, then, remembered to grab the flowers he himself had gathered, the trail leading to her heart. 

“What a strange coincidence – I gathered these along the way.” Holding her gaze, he added his own collected roses to the existing bunch, gently closing his hands over hers and relishing the resultant darkening of her eyes. From their touch spread a soft heat all the way through, a shield against the whispering breeze.

“Why, thank you, darling!” As much as she’d clearly aimed for sunny and unrestrained, Phryne answered softly, quietly.

Careful not to crush the budding blooms she leaned in close as the bunch trapped between their bodies would allow, capturing his lips again with hers. The angle was all impulsive clumsiness and Jack smiled and then they were laughing, grinning against the other’s mouth until they transcended into an easy, intimate silence. 

It was in the space of that moment that the trail of music, stripped of its layers by its faraway reach, found slowly its end, leaving nothing but their steady breathing in the space they shared. What had been a cheerful tone became, when it picked back up, a steadier tune – their dreamy gazes sharpened, weighted with intention.

“May I have this dance?” 

Phryne set aside the bundle of roses, now greater and more vibrant for their shared efforts, becoming one. “I thought you’d never ask.” 

She settled her hand into his, the other coming to rest on his shoulder; he relished the warm pressure of her arm along his. Jack stroked briefly the softness of her skin before assuming position, causing her to shiver slightly under his touch. 

They floated through the night as though they were walking on stardust, their bodies in perfect sync. His heart fluttering in his chest, he held her gaze; he could see her giving herself entirely to the music, to his stable form in her arms as he guided them. It was with heavy-lidded eyes that Phryne looked at him, occasionally dipping from his eyes to his lips, the barest hint of teeth visible as she bit her own. 

Jack twirled them about the balcony as the moon watched, casting their dance in silver light. It was then, as they allowed the sky to hold them, that they felt completely weightless; the stars appeared close enough to touch.

As the music finally slowed and stopped, so did they. Phryne's hand slid from Jack’s shoulder up to his neck, and with their foreheads pressed together they gathered their breath. Before his mind’s eye flowed the dance of their souls; their strides at first shy, later purposeful, then set, finally, free – together. Defying logic to follow blindly the other’s lead as he had just this night, plunging into darkness held by nothing but the knowledge of her there to catch him.

They stood with both hands entwined, cherishing the quiet until a wave of cheers washed upon them from below. With the new year came yet another promise, one to which the stars bore witness as they bathed them in their gentle glow. 

He let go of her hands only to cup her hips, relishing the softness of her curves, and lift her into the air. With a small, delighted gasp she wrapped her legs around his and he swayed slightly; her gown, breathtaking as it was, became a vicious opponent in their chase of proximity. He clutched tightly the backs of her thighs, holding her up by the force of single-minded will.

There was an impossible lightness in his heart as he admired her grin so bright as to outshine the stars. Phryne cupped his face in her hands and showered him in kisses, never straying far from his lips. She traced the line of his jaw with her lips, his cheeks, the smiling corner of his mouth. The kisses she dropped to his lips conveyed unashamed certainty; he felt the warm flush of her cheeks against his skin. 

Jack held her until he could no more, then let her slowly down to the floor and pulled her close. 

“Happy new year, Jack.” The words, accompanied by the flutter of her eyelashes against sensitive skin, were whispered softly into the base of his neck. 

“Happy new year, Phryne.” His fingers found the strands of her hair and it was his turn to pull her closer. In response, she traced his pulse, swift but steady, with her lips. 

Another moment passed, then Phryne pulled away to look at him with all the weight in the universe in her eyes. “And here’s to many more to come.”

The gentlest of kisses sealed their promise under the moon’s warm-hearted smile. 

***

**Author's Note:**

> Happy new year, everyone, and thank you for reading! <3


End file.
